Industry News Archives

Since the recent price rise, you may be wondering “How much is Microsoft 365 for small businesses?”. This guide will help you to understand Microsoft 365 pricing and help you to decide whether migrating to the system will work for your business.

Microsoft 365 for Business (previously known as Office 365 for Business) will give your small-medium-enterprise (SME) the full benefit of Cloud computing including in-built security, backup, automated upgrades and incredible flexibility and agility.

Maximise productivity by providing your team with the tools to work anywhere, share information and collaborate with co-workers in real-time. Microsoft 365 products are subscription-based and charged on a per-month basis, with a range of package levels.

In this guide, we’re going to outline what Microsoft 365 package is best for small businesses and how much it costs so you get the most effective solution for your organisation.

What package is best for my small business?

With 4 different packages available for businesses of all sizes, there is a plan for all organisations whether that be small startups or a juggernaut of the technology world. Services and features vary from package to package, but all businesses choosing to migrate their operations to Microsoft 365 will benefit from the following:

Web and mobile versions of Office applications
Email and calendaring
File storage and sharing
Teamwork and communication
Security and compliance
Support and deployment

If you want to see a detailed guide on what Microsoft 365 is, we’ve written a definitive blog that breaks down all the features and how we can help your business migrate across.

At Westlake IT, we highly recommend Microsoft 365 for those who operate an SME. These packages offer those who run startups and small businesses the opportunity to effectively communicate with staff, customers and other stakeholders, store a HUGE amount of data, increase productivity and creativity as well as a long list of other benefits.

How much does Microsoft 365 cost?

All packages vary in cost ranging from £4.50 – £15.10 per user/month.

To safely migrate your previous work across to Microsoft 365 you will need expert support – otherwise, you put a lot of data at risk during the transition. Westlake IT has years of experience in helping small businesses migrate to Microsoft 365, so you can be sure that your data is in safe hands.

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs £4.50 per user/month and offers small businesses a lot of Microsoft’s high-quality features.

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business costs £7.90 per user/month and the main difference to Business Basic is that the Office apps can be installed as desktop versions with premium features.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

Microsoft 365 Business Standard costs £9.40 per user/month and is a popular choice amongst small business owners.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs £16.60 per user/month and is Microsoft’s complete package suitable for larger businesses.

How can Westlake IT help?

With so much on offer, any small business or startup should seriously consider migrating over to Microsoft 365. If transferring data or the incapability of setting it up is a stumbling block for your business, then Westlake IT can help.

We provide both cloud migration services and licensing for Microsoft 365, as well as expert advice on what package is best for you. To find out how we can help your business migrate to Microsoft 365, head on over to our dedicated Microsoft 365 page.

As well as providing Microsoft 365 migration and licensing, we also offer expertly managed IT support services for both local and national small businesses. IT support is a huge part of any business and sometimes you need help from external sources and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing for the last 15 years.

Get in touch with a member of our team to discuss how we can help your business make a smooth transition to Microsoft 365 today!

Westlake It is delighted to announce it has achieved Microsoft Gold Partner status for Cloud Productivity.

Microsoft’s Gold Partner status is reserved for partners that demonstrate the highest level of company customer care and a proven track record implementing Microsoft technologies and maximising the benefits that clients receive.

At Westlake IT, our mission has always been to provide the highest level of service to our clients and we are thrilled that this has been officially recognised by Microsoft.

Chris Apperley, Westlake IT MD said:

“For us, creating partnerships with our customers based on delivering the best IT solutions and service levels is at the heat of what we do. It’s what we stand for. Few IT service providers can boast that 99% of IT support requests are resolved within promised timeframes, but we can. For Westlake IT Microsoft Gold Partner status is a tangible recognition of our expertise and our customer service ethos.”

As a Microsoft Gold Partner for Cloud Productivity, Westlake IT has been recognised as having the capabilities to provide consultative expertise with best-in-class Microsoft implementation and deployment as well as for our commitment to staff training and certification in Microsoft technologies such as Office 365, Teams and SharePoint.

Call, Westlake IT now on 02392007850 to see how we can help your business.

Microsoft are changing the way in which their Office 365 licenses can be purchased as well as announcing significant price increases for some of their Office 365 licenses. Here we give you the facts and tell you how to avoid these increases.

What are the price increases?

From 1 March, Microsoft are raising the pricing of six of their most popular products in the market. The main 6 products affected by the change, as well as the current estimated increases are below. Pricing in pound sterling will be made available at the start of February.

Furthermore, on 1 July Microsoft will apply a 20% premium to not only the 6 products that have been subject to price increases, but to all licenses purchased on a monthly payment plan.

License Type	Price Increase on 1 March	Additional Premium for Monthly Plans on 1 July	Total Increase
Business Basic	20%	20%	44%
Business Premium	10%	20%	32%
Office 365 E1	25%	20%	50%
Office 365 E3	15%	20%	38%
Office 365 E5	8.5%	20%	30.2%
Microsoft 365 E3	12.5%	20%	35%

Avoid the increases and save money with Westlake IT

The good news is that if you move to an annual payment plan with Westlake IT, we can save you money. We will not only be able to fix your current pricing for one year, but we will also be able to offer you a 5% discount on all your Office 365 licences.

Get in touch now

What are the pros and cons of the monthly and annual payment plans?

It’s important you make an informed choice, so we’ve summarised he core pros and cons below:

Monthly Term Option

You can downgrade or deactivate your licenses in a 72-hour window once per month.

You can upgrade or add new licenses at any time

You pay a 20% price premium on ALL licenses purchased monthly

You can move IT license provider with a month’s notice

There is no price protection guarantee

We can only pro rata license downgrades or deactivations to the month. There is no daily billing.

You cannot purchase Exchange Online and other license types monthly. (See below)

Annual Term Option

You can downgrade or deactivate your licenses in a 72-hour window once per month.

You can upgrade or add new licenses at any time

You pay a 20% price premium on ALL licenses purchased monthly

You can move IT license provider with a month’s notice

There is no price protection guarantee

We can only pro rata license downgrades or deactivations to the month. There is no daily billing.

You cannot purchase Exchange Online and other license types monthly. (See below)

Not all licenses to be available to purchase on the monthly plan.

You will no longer be able to purchase the following licenses on a monthly plan. They will only be available on annual terms:

Exchange Online Plan 1 (Email)
Project Online Plans
Enterprise Mobility & Security (E3 & E5)
Microsoft Defender
Intune
Microsoft 365 Business Voice and Calling and Audio Plans

You can’t move provider

Another significant change is that businesses will not be allowed to move to a different license provider midterm. For businesses choosing to pay annually for their Office 365 licenses, you must remain with your provider for the whole year, so it’s important you choose the right IT partner.

In summary

This is Microsoft’s first price increase in over 5 years. Microsoft say the price increases reflect the investment they have made developing new features and capabilities such as the addition of 24 Apps to the Microsoft 365 product suite and new security and compliance measures to help businesses defend against cybercrime.

We understand Microsoft’s reasoning, but we also believe the increases to be inordinately high and the changes to be ill-timed. As we emerge from a global pandemic that has adversely impacted so many businesses, we believe these changes will be difficult for many businesses to absorb.

Westlake IT stand ready to support businesses in choosing the best option for them. Call us now on 02392 007850 to find out how we can help you.